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McGowan, Blue Jays roll past Yankees

May 29, 2007 - 4:34 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- The Toronto Blue Jays have looked dominant in their first two games against the New York Yankees this season.

Dustin McGowan pitched 7 2/3 solid innings and Lyle Overbay hit his eighth home run of the season as the Blue Jays defeated the Yankees, 7-2, in the opener of a three-game series Monday.

Aaron Hill drove in three runs for the Blue Jays, who have outscored the Yankees, 13-2, in their first two meetings this season. Toronto defeated New York, 6-0, on April 26 at Yankee Stadium.

"That was probably the best game I've had since I've been here," McGowan said. "I had all my pitches going tonight. I was just pounding the zone and throwing strikes."

McGowan (1-2) picked up his first win this season and the third of his career, allowing two runs, five hits and one walk while notching a career-high seven strikeouts.

"Dustin was awesome tonight," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "Maybe that was his breakthrough outing for him, against the Yankees. He had to feel real good. He'll always remember this one."

The righthander did not allow a run until Hideki Matsui connected for a two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning. The home run came on McGowan's 117th pitch of the game - which also proved to be his last.

It was the longest outing of the 25-year-old's career. In 14 prior starts, dating to 2005, McGowan had never pitched more than 6 1/3 innings.

"(McGowan is) a big, strong kid," Gibbons said. "He was going into some uncharted territory, but that's how you learn and that's what makes you so much better."

New York first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz said he was impressed with McGowan.

"He's got electric stuff. When you throw 97 miles per hour with sink and then add changeups with a lot of movement, it's awfully tough," he said. "I don't care how we're swinging, to do that to this lineup is pretty impressive."

Overbay's solo home run in the third inning off rookie Matt DeSalvo (1-2) opened the scoring, and the Blue Jays extended the lead to 2-0 an inning later on an RBI single by Hill.

Overbay had three hits and came up in the eighth inning needing a triple for the cycle, but he struck out swinging.

"I'm done with triples, I've already exceeded my limit," said Overbay, who has two triples this season but just five in 2,148 career at-bats. "I'm feeling really comfortable at the plate right now. I feel like I can get on the fastball and adjust on the off-speed (pitch)."

After allowing a two-out RBI double to Overbay in the fifth, DeSalvo lost his control. The 26-year-old loaded the bases by walking Vernon Wells and hitting Troy Glaus with a pitch.

Luis Vizcaino replaced DeSalvo and ended the threat by striking out Frank Thomas, who remains six home runs shy of 500 for his career.

"I didn't do a very good job of helping keep the team in it," DeSalvo said. "Giving up one run in three straight innings, it was tough."

Toronto blew the game open in the seventh inning when reliever Ron Villone loaded the bases with with one out. An RBI single by Glaus and a walk to Thomas pushed the lead to 5-0 before Hill delivered a two-run single to right off reliever Mike Myers to make it 7-0.

DeSalvo allowed three runs, five hits and three walks while striking out two in 4 2/3 innings.

It was another discouraging loss for the Yankees, who have lost four straight and 12 of their last 17 games. New York's vaunted lineup has scored three runs or fewer in 10 games during that span.

"It's easy to play the game when you're swinging the bats well, when you're pitching well and when everything seems to be going your way," said New York shortstop Derek Jeter, who had two of the Yankees' five hits to improve his batting average to .355. "When you go through rough periods, that's when you find out how good teams are."

New York is tied for last place in the American League East, 13 1/2 games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox. The Yankees have not been this far out of first since September 9, 1995.

"My concern is our team," New York manager Joe Torre said. "It's not about chasing anybody. We have to straighten our house out."